Derrick has taught biology and chemistry at both the high school and college level. He has a master's degree in science education.

Plants contain numerous types of cells. All of these cells carry out specific functions. In this lesson, you will learn about the structure and function of collenchyma cells.

What are Collenchyma Cells?

Humans and animals have bones to provide support and structure. While plants don't have bones, they do contain a variety of structural cells that have different compositions and functions. In this lesson, we'll be taking a look at collenchyma cells, which help plants stay standing.

Collenchyma cells are elongated cells with irregularly thick cell walls that provide support and structure. Their thick cell walls are composed of the compounds cellulose and pectin. These cells are often found under the epidermis, or the outer layer of cells in young stems and in leaf veins.

Function of Collenchyma Cells

Collenchyma cells provide structural support, protecting the plant by serving as an inner framework, much like bones do for humans and other animals. Plants are exposed to numerous structural challenges and without these cells, most plants would be too fragile to withstand the damage caused by heavy rains, high winds, and other stresses.

The thickened walls of the collenchyma cells enable them to provide additional support to the areas where they are found. Most notably, collenchyma cells serve growing parts of the plant, such as shoots and leaves, both by providing support and by filling in vacant spaces that will be used for later growth.

Types of Collenchyma Cells

Angular collenchyma cells are given their names because their cell walls are thicker in the corners where they connect with other cells and thin in the middle, giving them an angular appearance. These cells are often found in leaves, giving them a bumpy texture. They have been notably studied in the leaves of celery plants.

Tangential collenchyma cells have cell walls that are thicker only when they are parallel to the surface of the structure where they are found. This thickening allows for greater strength and support for the outer layer of the plant structure, whether it is a stem or a leaf.

Annular collenchyma cells are the rarest of the types and have been observed in the leaves of carrot plants. They are characterized by evenly thickened cell walls and are believed to be purely for support and structure in all directions, with no one side of the wall being thicker.

Lacunar collenchyma cells are known for having a lot of intercellular space between the cells. They fit together like a matrix and fill in spaces within the parts of the plant that would otherwise be empty and vulnerable to collapse. You can think of them like a building frame or scaffolding that is for additional support in places that would be weak.

Lesson Summary

Collenchyma cells are elongated cells with thickened cell walls that provide structure and support for plants. There are four types of collenchyma cells: tangential, annular, lacunar, and angular. They are characterized by the thickness of their cell walls and the amount of intercellular space around them.

Summary:

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